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Muncy knew what was coming. South Williamsport understood that Muncy knew what was coming.
But the Mountie offensive line kept making sure it worked anyway.
South captured the District 4 Class A championship last Friday at Muncy, defeating the tournament's top seed, 57-20. And it was linemen Owen Bird, Chris Confer, Paxton Gephart, Evan Tortellet and Max Wilton who helped form the foundation that this dominant performance was built upon. Every player had his fingerprints on that championship trophy, but the young men who often toil in anonymity kept letting everyone know that this success started up front.
Those five helped South run the ball 62 times for 407 yards against one of the area's best defenses. South used his passing game to dethrone two-time defending champion Canton the previous week, but the line was so effective against Muncy that the Mounties never attempted a pass. Ryan Casella, Kaiser Kistner, Landyn Gephart and Tadd Lusk all ran as hard as the line blocked and South won its first district title since 2014 with a performance which would make Vince Lombardi smile.
"That was classic South football," Gephart said after running for 103 yards and a touchdown. "They put five on the line in the second half but we kept running at them."
The Mounties have made a big mark on program history, securing the fourth district championship. Now they have another opportunity and play Saturday at Williamsport against District 6 champion Cambria Heights in the state quarterfinals.
South made its intentions clear from its first offensive snap. Casella (165 yards, 3 touchdowns) gained seven yards and the Mounties were off and running. It wasn't like the Dominick Bragalone days where a touchdown drive might last one or two plays. This was chunks of yards being ripped off at a time with Casella and Kistner both going over 90 yards in the first half.
The Mounties four first-half drives all produced touchdowns. They all lasted six plays or longer and consumed 16 minutes. Muncy made adjustments, but the linemen kept having all the answers, driving defenders back and clearing the way for hard-nosed runners.
The second half was a near repeat and South put the game away with four more touchdowns. Casella and Kistner (134) were both over 100 yards two minutes into the third quarter and Gephart joined them in the fourth, capping his night with a 19-yard game-clinching touchdown. Lusk added two scores and so impressive was the line that the only time South lost yards on a play was when Lusk slipped in the mud on a roll out.
"We were just like a clip hammer. We were non-stop, going 100 percent," Bird, the team's center, said. "We know it all starts at the line. We knew from Day 1, if we got our stuff done, they (the runners) were going to be able to get theirs 10 times easier. We really showed that (Friday)."
They showed it time after time after time. South averaged 6.6 yards per carry and a line which has surged throughout the season put together its strongest performance. Whether South was running inside or outside, the linemen made sure it was effective. South has built one of the area's best winning traditions upon strong line play and former Mountie linemen had to love what they watched the current ones do against a stout Muncy team which finished 10-2.
All five linemen started together a year ago. Seniors Bird, Confer and Tortellet have done so for three years. A lot was expected of this group entering the season and, together, they have delivered.
It certainly has not been easy. The line absorbed injuries throughout the season and the team was especially hurting at midseason. But South has won five straight games and its line is a major reason why as players have healed up, bulked up and imposed their will.
"You can go right down the line," South coach Chris Eiswerth said. "All those guys played great."
South attacked Canton and Muncy during districts in different ways. When the Warriors did everything they could to slow the run, South went aerial. Both times South was successful because against Canton, the linemen gave Lusk time to throw and against Muncy the backs holes to burst through.
All these linemen have played together at different levels throughout their lives. Everything has been leading up to this season and they are making this one to remember. The work is not done and Cambria Heights provides another big challenge, but as the games have grown tougher, these brothers up front continue pulling closer.
"We grew up together," Bird said. "It was the same five of us, so we're all close and we all trust each other and have that bond."
The runners and linemen have a reciprocal relationship, too. Whoever gets the ball runs as hard as the linemen block. Together, they form quite a duo. Casella, a former starter up front until last year, has run for 1,301 yards and 22 touchdowns with Kistner going over 700 yards despite not starting until mid-season.
"They really stepped up these last couple games. They're opening big holes and it's pretty easy running through those when you have a good line," Kistner said. "You want to have their back. They're putting their body on the line for you and you want to make the yards to make it work."
Whether running or throwing, the linemen have helped make it work all season. South averages 40.3 points and 378 yards per game. The running game has clicked, but so has the passing game and Lusk has thrown 15 touchdowns since becoming the starter in Week 6. All the players do their part and it is the linemen helping make it all operate as one.
"It was really something," Eiswerth said. "They're gritty and they're tough."